Does everyone have depression (yes or no)

In this article, we will discuss does everyone have depression, why are some people more prone to depression, why some people never get depressed, and facts about depression that everyone should know.

Depression also referred to as “clinical depression” or “depressive disorder,” is a mood disorder that causes distressing symptoms, such as sleeping, eating, or working, that affect how you feel, think, and manage everyday activities. Symptoms must be present most of the day, almost every day for at least 2 weeks, to be diagnosed with depression.

Does everyone have depression?

No everyone does not have depression but more than 264 million people are affected, depression is a widespread disorder worldwide. Depression is distinct from the normal changes in mood and short-lived emotional reactions to daily life problems. Depression can become a serious health condition, especially when it is long-lasting and with moderate to extreme severity. It can cause great distress and poor functioning of the affected individual at work, at school, and in the family. Depression can, at its worst, lead to suicide. Near to 800,000 people die each year from suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers aged 15-29.

People of every age, economic situation, and race are affected by depression. While depression is normal, some individuals get depressed, especially adolescents, but others do not.

For depression, there is no one explanation.  Many factors affect when a person gets depressed. Biology, stuff like our genes, brain chemistry, and hormones, are some of them. Some are locations, like daylight and seasons, or social and family circumstances that we face. And some are personalities, such as how we react to events in life or the support structures we build for ourselves. All of these items can help shape whether a person gets depressed or not.

Why are some people more prone to depression?

A dynamic combination of social psychological and biological influences results in depression. Depression is more likely to occur in people who have been through traumatic life experiences (unemployment, bereavement, psychological trauma). In turn, depression may contribute to further stress and dysfunction and exacerbate the life condition of the affected individual and depression itself.

Depression and physical health are interrelated too. Cardiovascular disease, for instance, can lead to depression and vice versa.

For what appears to be a “good cause, people are often sad, maybe they lost their job or a close friend died, but with psychiatric depression, there doesn’t really have to be a reason for how you feel. The brain chemicals responsible for mood management may be out of balance, causing you to feel bad, even though all is going well in your life.

Why some people never get depressed?

Confronted with some of the disturbing experiences of life – marital dissolution, unemployment, bereavement, some sort of loss – many individuals become depressed. Others don’t, though.

An individual who goes through things like that and does not get depressed has a measure of what is known as’ resilience’ in the psychiatric trade. We are all placed somewhere on a sliding scale, according to Manchester University psychologist Dr. Rebecca Elliott.

“At one end you have very vulnerable people. In the face of quite low stress, or none at all, they’ll develop a mental health problem,” she says.

On the other hand, you have people with all kinds of traumatic experiences who have dealt a rather appalling hand with life, and yet they stay positive and hopeful.”At the other end, you have people who life has dealt a quite appalling hand with all sorts of stressful experiences, and yet they remain positive and optimistic.”

In the face of hardship, trauma, disaster, challenges, or major sources of stress, psychologists describe resilience as the process of adapting well such as family and relationship issues, serious health issues, or occupational and financial stressors. As much as resilience requires “bouncing back” from these traumatic experiences, deep personal development may also be involved.

Facts about depression

Depression is not just sadness

Sadness, a natural response to traumatic situations, is a part of being human. At any moment in our lives, both of us will feel sorrow. However, depression is a condition with far more manifestations than an unhappy mood. 

There are some telltale signs when grief turns into depression, including:

• Changes in habits of appetite, weight, and sleep
• Decreased drive for sex
• Feeling concerned, desperate, or helpless
• Feeling restless and irritable
• Persistent feelings of sorrow or a mood of “empty”
• Physical symptoms that don’t subside with treatment (such as headaches, stomach problems, body aches, and pain)
• Loss of interest in properties once enjoyed by you
• Low energy or symptoms of tiredness
• Concentration, memory, and decision-making issues

Children can get depressed too

A misconception exists that says childhood in our lives is always a happy, carefree time. While children do not face the same issues as adults do, such as work-related stress or financial stresses, this does not mean that they do not get depressed. Childhood brings its own peculiar collection of pressures, such as bullying and the battle for acceptance by peers.

While most people think of depression as an adult disorder, depression may also be produced by children and adolescents. Unfortunately, when parents don’t know that they are sad, many children with depression go untreated.

For parents, teachers, and other adults, learning about childhood depression is significant. You will intervene in a helpful way when you understand the signs of depression in children and the reasons children experience it.

Depression is real

You aren’t frail or insane. Depression is a real condition that researchers believe is caused predominantly by imbalances called neurotransmitters in the chemicals within your brain. Some physicians are also beginning to frame depression as a systemic disorder.

In controlling your mood, neurotransmitters play a significant role as well as being involved in many other functions throughout your body. In controlling emotion, memory, thinking, motivation, and reward, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin help. They are also the “feel-good” chemical that helps control the mood and plays a role in your overall feeling of well-being

Depression is treatable

Several very successful treatment options, including narcotics and psychotherapy, are available for depression. In addition, all the time, new treatments are being established which prove to be successful in cases where other treatments have failed.

Although the care should be personalized to better fit your symptoms and mental health, to help relieve symptoms of depression, a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and behavioral changes is frequently used.

You can engage in psychotherapy for individuals, groups, families, or couples, depending on your particular circumstances.

There are several drugs that have been considered effective in the treatment of depression especially when used in conjunction with psychotherapy. Again since treatment for depression is not a one-size-fits-all solution, finding the drug that alleviates the symptoms with the fewest side effects can take some trial and error.

There are several lifestyle improvements in addition to care and medication that can help you better control the symptoms of depression as well as the side effects of medication.

Depression can lead to suicide

In preventing suicides, the proper diagnosis and treatment of depression are very critical. 45 percent of those who commit suicide suffer from some form of mental disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and this includes individuals with undiagnosed, untreated, or under-treated depression.

Build resilience

Although some variables make some people more resilient than others, resilience is not inherently a trait of personality that only certain individuals possess. Resilience, on the contrary, requires attitudes, concepts, and acts that can be taught and created by anyone. 

Resilience building requires focusing on four core components will motivate you to resist and learn from stressful and traumatic experiences: connection, wellness, positive thinking, and purpose. 

Seeking help for depression

You might wonder what steps to take if you or someone you love is showing signs of depression. You may want to start by learning more about depression, as well as misconceptions, misunderstandings, and stigma, including symptoms and treatment. This will have a clearer image of what to expect and make you a patient or caregiver who is more well-informed.

You can also set up an appointment with your primary care doctor, and have a referral for further treatment to a mental health professional. You can contact mental health professionals online too.

In this article, we will discuss does everyone have depression, why are some people more prone to depression, why some people never get depressed, and facts about depression that everyone should know.

FAQs: Does everyone have depression

References

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression

https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-facts-you-should-know-1067617

https://www.verywellmind.com/why-are-some-people-more-prone-to-depression-1067622